Page 9 - AfrElec Week 16 2021
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AfrElec RENEWABLES AfrElec
Ghana connects 22-MW
solar project to grid
GHANA GHANA has commissioned its largest utili- power generation capacity. The government
ty-scale solar project to date in the north-east of agency is also preparing for the commissioning
the country as it aims to lessen its dependence on of a new 50-MWp solar power plant, as it says it
hydropower in rural areas. has completed construction of the new facility
The plant, which has a capacity of 22.25 during March 2021.
MWp, was connected to the grid of the state- Once again, BPA is waiting for the green light
owned Ghana Grid Co. (GRIDCo) this week. from GRIDCo, which will necessarily use the
This makes it one of the largest solar power recently injected 22.25 MWp to test the capac-
plants for the national grid in Ghana. ity of the grid to absorb the power of the new
“Until now, the only renewable energy on 50-MWp solar plant.
the national grid has been hydro. This is the first The country now has 5,204.5 MW of installed
time we are harnessing the power of the sun and capacity, with peak demand of 2,881.60 MW.
feeding it into the grid to be used everywhere,” However, gas supply and grid problems mean
explained Fred Oware, the managing director of that much capacity is shut down. Local produc-
BPA. tion has proved inadequate, although the Tema
The government agency is connecting its sec- LNG facility is set to make more fuel available
ond solar power plant to Ghana’s national grid. when it is up and running this year.
The first, with a capacity of 5 MWp, was built in One way forward is to increase renewables
the Bui Dam basin. capacity. The country aims to have up to 1,094.63
The two grid-connected plants are part of a MW of grid-connected renewable sources in the
project to hybridise the 400-MW Bui hydroelec- generation mix by 2030.
tric plant (HPP). The aim is to stabilise Ghana’s Access to power levels in the country has
national power grid, which suffers during the dry reached 84%, according to World Bank data,
season, especially from the reduced flow of the and that demand has risen in line with economic
Black Volta river. growth in recent years.
The BPA wants to acquire 250 MWp of solar
Week 16 22•April•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P9
